If you hate creepy, crawly things, Texas has just the centipede for you.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department posted a photo on Facebook on Friday showing a particularly striking specimen of the Texas redheaded centipede, proving that everything is indeed bigger in Texas.
The centipede, featuring a long black body, yellow legs and a red head and antennas, took a ride on a broom in Garner State Park, located west of San Antonio in the state’s Hill Country.
The centipede, whose Latin name is Scolopendra heros, can be found from Mexico up into the south-central and southwestern United States. They usually have between 21 and 23 pairs of legs and typically measure between 6 and 8 inches long.
Even though it may look frightening, Texas wildlife department officials said the centipede doesn’t pose much of a threat to humans. Bites can be painful, but usually subside after a few hours of swelling and stinging.
However, the redheaded centipede is a much bigger danger to its fellow animals. It often feeds on lizards and toads and has been known to also attack rodents and snakes.
